TURKISH CYPRIOT AND TURKISH MEDIA REVIEW
C O N T E N T S
No.
184/13 27.09.13
1.
Eroglu’s contacts in New York
2.
Nami’s contacts in New York
3.
Gul met with the Republic of Cyprus delegation at the UN General Assembly
4.
Ozgurgun says they want “TRNC” to be one of the equal founding partners in
Cyprus
5. Cyprus problem among the
subjects discussed during Davutoglu’s meetings in NY
6.
Turkish columnist writes that Greece receiving the Turkish Cypriot envoy would
mean that Athens has recognized the breakaway regime
7. Reactions by
KTOS and KTOEOS against AKP; They spend 11 million TL for repairing all schools
and 22 million TL for building one mosque
8. The “Near East University
mosque” will be the largest mosque of Cyprus
9. The regime fined
Greek Cypriot buses
10.
Turkey to host summit to discuss UN Security Council reform
11.
Chinese corporation wins tender for Turkey's long-range air and missile defense
system
12.
Energy Minister: General to play important role in achieving Turkey’s energy
goals
13.
Turkish Interior Minister Confirms 17 of 18 Fugitives Captured in Eastern
Turkey
1. Eroglu’s
contacts in New York
According to illegal Bayrak television (online,
27.09.13), two different receptions were held yesterday night on the sidelines
of the 68th UN General Assembly meeting.
Turkish Cypriot leader Dervis Eroglu attended the
first reception hosted by Turkey’s Ambassador to Washington Namik Tan in honour
of Turkey’s President Abdullah Gul at the Turkish House (Turk Evi) and found
the opportunity to have conversations with Gul and other foreign guests.
Later, Eroglu and his delegation attended a reception
hosted by the General Secretary of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC)
Ekmeledin Ihsanoglu to the OIC member countries. Eroglu met with state and head
of governments of the OIC member countries attending also the reception.
2.
Nami’s contacts in New York
Illegal Bayrak television (27.09.13, online) broadcast that the self-styled minister of foreign
affairs Ozdil Nami held various contacts in New York. Nami is holding
“bilateral contacts” with officials from the Organization of Islamic
Cooperation and the United Nations on the sidelines of the 68th UN General
Assembly meeting.
Name met with the Foreign Minister of Qadar Khalid Bin
Mohammed Al-Altiyah. According to Bayrak, they exchanged views regarding the improvement
of relations between Qatar and the breakaway regime. Nami also expressed to
Al-Altiyah his pleasure for Qatar’s support towards the breakaway regime.
Nami also gave an interview to the Forward and International
Business Times, which is published in Washington.
He also held separate meetings with Eric Rubin, US Deputy Assistant Secretary in the Bureau of European
and Eurasian Affairs and Herve
Ladsous, United Nations Under-Secretary-General
for Peacekeeping Operations. He exchanged views regarding the latest
developments on the Cyprus problem with the two officials. He also expressed
the Turkish Cypriots’ will for the launching of the Cyprus negotiations and the
solution of the Cyprus problem.
3. Gul
met with the Republic of Cyprus delegation at the UN General Assembly
Turkish daily Zaman (27.09.13), under the title “Gezi
Park damaged Turkey’s image”, reports that Turkish President Abdullah Gul,
speaking to journalists in New York on Thursday, said, among other things,
about his meeting with the delegation of the Republic of Cyprus at the UN
building.
Gul said that while he was speaking at the United
Nations General Assembly, the Greek Cypriots did not walk out of the hall. It
was the first time that they did not leave. They must have looked it with a
positive agenda. He went on: “We spoke at the reception. I said to them cover the
distance, be determined, not prolong this job. With the cooperation of Turkey,
Cyprus and Greece, a separate pillar may be formed for the European Union in
Eastern Mediterranean.”
4. Ozgurgun
says they want “TRNC” to be one of the equal founding partners in Cyprus
Turkish Cypriot daily Kibris newspaper (27.09.13)
reports that Huseyin Ozgurgun, chairman of the “main opposition” National Unity
Party (UBP) said yesterday that the views of his party on the Cyprus problem
are clear and added that it accepts nothing less than “the reality that the
Turkish Cypriot people is an equal partner on this island and that motherland
Turkey is a guarantor and has rights on the island”.
In statements during a meeting with the chairman of
the so-called National Existence Council, Vedat Celik, Ozgurgun noted that the
Cyprus problem is the only issue that could cause a change in what he described
as “positive opposition line” which the UBP is following. He went on and said
that having as starting point that the “TRNC”, breakaway regime in the occupied
area of Cyprus, is an equal founding partner (in Cyprus), that the two founding
states have equal status and that this is a UN parameter, the UBP accepts no
solution outside “an equal partnership solution” in which the “TRNC” will exist
as founding state of the new partnership which will be established. Ozgurgun noted that these are their red lines
and could never give concession on these. He said that no one should worry
about this.
Meanwhile, in his statement, Celik said that his
Council includes 30 organizations and institutions, which are “on the national
line”. He noted that some developments which worry them are happening. Alleging
that the demands of the Greek Cypriot side increase every day and that the
Greek Cypriots play with time by submitting new preconditions, Celik argued
that the conditions are becoming more difficult every day and that the Turkish
side remains silent to this.
Celik said that the Council has launched a “legal
examination” on the issue of the occupied fenced city of Varosha and alleged
that “Varosha is not as Greek as it is assumed”. He reiterated the Turkish
allegation that Varosha is Evkaf religious foundation’s property and argued
that the ownership of Varosha should be determined before the resumption of the
negotiations for finding a solution to the Cyprus problem.
(I/Ts.)
5. Cyprus problem among
the subjects discussed during Davutoglu’s meetings in NY
Turkish
daily Sabah (27.09.13) reports that Turkish Foreign Minister Davutoglu attended
several meetings as part of his New York visit, alongside holding talks with
NATO Secretary General Rasmussen.
Davutoglu
and Rasmussen took up the NATO-EU cooperation, the Cyprus problem, Syria and
other developments in the Middle East high on their agenda, the paper reports.
Meanwhile,
Turkish daily Today’s Zaman (online, 26.09.13) reported that Davutoglu,
speaking on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly's 68th meeting in New
York, stated that there has been some progress in mending the ties between
Ankara and Tel Aviv; however, he added that Israel has not yet fulfilled all of
Turkey's conditions for normalizing relations.
Davutoglu
noted that out of the three important conditions Turkey set, only one of them
has been met by Israel. An apology was one of three demands Ankara made to Tel
Aviv. The other two were compensation for the families of the passengers killed
on the ship and the lifting of the blockade on Gaza.
Davutoglu
said Turkey's demand for an Israeli apology had been fulfilled, that there had
been progress on the second condition of compensation and that the negotiations
were still going on over the issue. "We hope this will be concluded,"
said Davutoglu.
Referring
to the third condition of the ending of the Israeli blockade of Gaza, Davutoglu
said that Turkey is very concerned about the humanitarian situation in the
Palestinian territories, especially in Gaza, following recent developments in
Egypt.
In
Egypt, the country's democratically elected President Mohammed Morsi was ousted
in early July and since then the tension in the Arab country has also had an
effect on Gaza. The Egyptian authorities recently closed the border with Gaza
on several occasions and the army has destroyed smuggling tunnels to Gaza,
compounding supply shortages from the Israeli blockade.
Davutoglu
noted that Gaza has been subjected to an Israeli blockade for years.
Moreover,
Ankara Anatolia news agency (26.09.13) reported that Davutoglu, speaking at a
forum organized by the Caspian Strategy Institute, said Europe needs security
in terms of energy and the Southern Gas Corridor Project is the best
alternative.
Davutoglu
also said that the Trans Anatolian Natural Gas Pipeline Project (TANAP), which
will bring natural gas from Azerbaijan through Turkey to Europe, will increase
Turkey's strategic importance.
He
also expressed the view that TANAP and Trans-Adriatic gas pipeline projects
will also make major contributions to the international economy and political
peace.
6. Turkish
columnist claims that Greece receiving the Turkish Cypriot envoy would mean
that Athens has recognized the breakaway regime
Under the title “The devil is in the wording”, Turkish
daily Hurriyet Daily News (26.09.13) published the following article by Yusuf
Kanli
“There is jubilation in the team of Nikos
Anastasiades, the Greek Cypriot leader. It’s no joke, they have achieved
something that no other Greek Cypriot leader has managed over the past so many
decades since the 1974 Turkish intervention in Cyprus. Thanks to American
background diplomacy, Turkey has succumbed to the demands of opening “direct
talks” with the Greek Cypriot leadership, bypassing the Turkish Cypriot side.
The success was so great that even if no success is achieved on Varosha or any
other issue, Anastasiades might complete his five-year presidential tenure and
go to the electorate in 2018 as a victorious leader who has achieved a landmark
success: Direct talks with Turkey. Although there are some people thinking more
soberly, that’s the general mood on the Greek Cypriot side.
What was that great achievement? Meeting on the
sidelines of the U.N. General Assembly, the Turkish and Greek foreign ministers
agreed reciprocal visits by representatives of the two leaders of Cyprus to
Turkey and Greece. The crux, or perhaps the devil, is hidden in the wording. In
those visits, the representatives of the two leaders on Cyprus would be
received “on equal footing.” What does that mean? Neither would be received as
an envoy of the state or of a community, but both as presidential envoys enjoying
the same status.
If Turkey is to receive the Greek Cypriot envoy,
according him the same status that Greece would be according the visiting
Turkish Cypriot envoy, this would mean Ankara has recognized the Cyprus
Republic. With the same logic, Greece receiving the Turkish Cypriot envoy would
mean that Athens has recognized the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus. With
such oddities, Anastasiades of course might try to appease the Greek Cypriot
public, but they are not conducive at all to the notion of peacemaking.
Presenting the development in terms that Turkey has succumbed to successful
Greek Cypriot diplomacy supported by Washington and Tel Aviv cannot be
conducive at all with the spirit of talks that the Turkish Cypriots assume will
resume soon.
To start with, the idea of Turkey and Greece receiving
representatives of the two leaders of the leaders of two sides on Cyprus was
first offered by U.N. Secretary General Ban Ki-moon during the 2011 meeting in
Geneva with Turkish and Greek Cypriot leaders. The Turkish Cypriot side
immediately accepted the proposal on the condition that representatives of the
two leaders were treated equally.
Then Greek Cypriot leader Demetris Christofias asked
for time to consider the proposal but never delivered an answer. Why? He, most
probably, was bothered by the “equal treatment” clause, scared that Greece
meeting with a Turkish Cypriot representative would be considered by some other
countries as tacit recognition. At least, how could Greek Cypriots continue
asking other countries to shun Turkish Cypriot representatives while Athens was
affording diplomatic reception to a Turkish Cypriot presidential envoy?
Each time a foreign dignitary visits Cyprus, meeting
the Turkish Cypriot authorities become a big issue. Now, U.S. Secretary of
State John Kerry will be visiting the island soon. Will he meet the Turkish
Cypriot side and will the Greek Cypriots allow such contact?
That brings us to the ultimate reality: As long as one
side is considered the “sole legitimate state” and the other side as a
“minority demanding some rights” from that legitimate state, there cannot be a
Cyprus settlement. Such a process can only take us to divorce - negotiated,
velvet, or whatever!”
7. Reactions by KTOS and KTOEOS against AKP; they spend 11 million TL
for repairing all schools and 22 million TL for building one mosque
Turkish
Cypriot daily Afrika newspaper (27.09.13) reports that the Turkish Cypriot
Primary and Secondary School Teachers’ Trade Unions, KTOS and KTOEOS
respectively, have said that the Turkish Cypriots will not succumb to the “army
of the imam”, just like they had not succumbed to the “army of the priest” in
the past.
In a joint
statement issued by KTOS’ chairman Guven Varoglu and KTOEOS’ general secretary
Mehmet Tasker, the two trade unions criticized the ruling of Turkey’s Justice and Development Party (AKP)
because of the opening and groundbreaking ceremonies of additional classrooms
at the theological college in occupied Mia Milia and of mosques which are
expected to take place today.
They said
that first the Turkish Cypriots have been turned into minority with the
implementation of assimilation policies and now they are struggling to protect
their identity. They noted that with the Koran lessons and the construction of
mosques and of complexes of buildings adjacent to mosques, “which are not in
harmony with the country and the structure of the society, it is as if efforts
are being exerted to turn the country into a city of Saudi Arabia”.
They
pointed out that the groundbreaking ceremony of the Hala Sultan Mosque would
take place today in accordance to the statement made by Prime Minister Erdogan
that “we want to raise a religious generation”. “The fact that 22 million
Turkish liras (TL) have been separated for the construction of only one mosque,
while 11 million Turkish liras (TL) are separate for repairing all state
schools, is clearly showing this mentality”, they noted adding that the Turkish
Cypriots do not need mosques, dervish lodges, hodjas and pilgrims.
Meanwhile,
Afrika (27.09.13) reports also that the
general secretary of the United Cyprus Party (BKP), Abdullah Kormazhan called
on self-styled prime minister Yorgancioglu not to attend the groundbreaking and
the opening ceremony of the religious college today and noted that they should
stop the construction of additional classrooms and decide to launch a “due
process”.
(I/Ts.)
8. The “Near East
University mosque” will be the largest mosque of Cyprus
According
to Turkish Cypriot daily Kibris (27.09.13), Prof. Dr Besir Atalay, Deputy Prime
Minister of Turkey and responsible for Cyprus affairs, who is illegally
visiting the occupied area of Cyprus today, is breaking the grounds of the
“Near East University Mosque”, which is located on the campus and projected to
be the biggest and to have the largest capacity amongst the mosques of Cyprus.
The
“Near East University Mosque” will be the largest mosque of Cyprus in terms of
the area it covers and a capacity to serve the highest possible number of
worshippers up to 10,000. In total, it will have six minarets, of which four
will be 72 meters high with three balconies and two will be 54 meters high with
two balconies. The highest minarets of Cyprus will also accompany the highest
dome which will be 27 meters high and 27 meters in diameter. The stained glass
windows will be a reflection of the continuity of classical Ottoman architecture,
and the illustrations will reflect the same spirit.
9. The regime fined Greek Cypriot buses
Turkish
Cypriot daily Kibris newspaper (27.09.13) reports that a group of 400 Turkish
Cypriots, the majority of them “senior citizens”were forced to wait for 3.5
hours to get “permission” by the “police” of the breakaway regime” in order to
depart for the Hala Sultan Mosque in Larnaka within the framework of an
activity organized by the so-called municipality of occupied Keryneia.
According
to the paper, the problem was caused yesterday because the buses, which were to
carry the Turkish Cypriots to Larnaka, had registration numbers of the Republic
of Cyprus. The “police” did not allow the buses to leave occupied Keryneia
because they allegedly had not secured “working permit” in the occupied area of
Cyprus. According to the paper, the buses could leave only after paying a fine
of 350 Turkish liras (TL) each.
The
self-styled mayor of occupied Keryneia, Sumer Aygin said that they did not find
Turkish Cypriot buses to carry them to Larnaka and therefore they were forced
to choose Greek Cypriot companies.
Biray
Hamzaoglulari, “so-called deputy with the Republican Turkish Party (CTP) in
occupied Trikomo area and former chairman of the “Public Vehicles Operators’
Union” (Kar-Is) stated that carrying passengers without having “work permit” is
contrary to the “law” and added that permission was given to the buses to leave
so that the “senior citizens” not to be victimized.
Moreover,
Fuat Topaloglu, former chairman of Kar-Is, criticized those who permitted the
buses to leave after paying the fine but without having “permit”.
(I/Ts.)
10. Turkey
to host summit to discuss UN Security Council reform
Turkish daily Today’s Zaman newspaper (26.09.13)
reported that Istanbul will host a summit in early 2014 to discuss the issue of
reforming the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) after a request by
countries attended an international ministerial meeting in New York calling for
such reform.
Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu, who was speaking at New
York at a meeting of Uniting for Consensus (UfC), an international group that
aims to create a more diverse and representative UNSC, offered to hold the next
ministerial meeting of the UfC in Istanbul in upcoming months to
comprehensively discuss the organization's structure.
Representatives from countries attending the UfC
meeting welcomed the Turkish Foreign Minister's offer and agreed to hold a
ministerial-level meeting in Istanbul later in 2014. Before this meeting in
Turkey, a meeting at a vice ministerial level is expected to be held in Mexico
to discuss methods of reform.
During Wednesday's meeting, UfC members called for
“democratic, representative and equitable” changes to the UNSC. The group also
highlighted that reform should accommodate the interests of all member states.
The group said future negotiations should be based on
“five pillars of reform,” which are the categories of membership, the veto
issue, regional representation, the size of a larger UNSC and its working
methods and the relationship between the UNSC and the UN General Assembly.
“Turkey has been pushing for reform of the UNSC,
particularly since its five permanent members failed to agree on a UN
resolution to end the two-and-a-half-year-old crisis in Syria. Russia and
China, two strong backers of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad's regime,
prevented any UN action against their ally, Syria. Recently, Prime Minister
Recep Tayyip Erdogan criticized what he called the “inaction” of these P5
countries in the face of the Syrian crisis, asking, “What good is the UN
doing?” referring to crises in the world.”, the paper writes.
Erdogan also gave his support to a campaign called
“The World is Bigger than Five” which was launched by Genc Siviller (Young
Civilians), a civil society group.
11. Chinese
corporation wins tender for Turkey's long-range air and missile defense system
Ankara Anatolia news agency (26.09.13) reported that Chinese
firm, CPMIEC won the tender of a project for Turkey's "long-range air and
missile defense system."
Under the chairmanship of Turkish Prime Minister Recep
Tayyip Erdogan, the executive committee of the defense industry gathered on
Thursday to take decision for the issues on the agenda.
The written statement indicated that the contract
negotiation between Chinese CPMIEC Corporation and Turkey to manufacture the
systems and missiles has been decided to begin within the framework of the
long-range air and missile defense system.
In addition, reporting on the same issue, Turkish
daily Hurriyet Daily News (27.09.13) writes that Turkey dismisses NATO allies’
bids, by selectingthe Chinese firm for the air defense system tender
“Ankara has granted a long-awaited tender for
long-range missile and air defense systems to Chinese contenders, dismissing
bids from major NATO allies as the United States, France and Italy. With the decision, announced following a
meeting of the Undersecretariat for Defense Industries' executive council,
which is headed by Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan, Ankara has approved the
lowest offer despite worries about the Chinese system’s ultimate compatibility
with NATO-owned early warning assets.
CPMIEC (China Precision Machinery Export-Import Corp.)
submitted an offer for its HQ-9 that included co-production solutions – which
was requested by Turkish authorities – at a reported $3 billion.
The other bidders were the U.S. partnership of
Raytheon and Lockheed Martin, offering the Patriot air defense system; Russia’s
Rosoboronexport, marketing the S-300; and the Italian-French consortium Eurosam,
maker of the SAMP/T Aster 30. Turkey presently has no long-range air-defense
systems. The $4 billion program, dubbed the T-LORAMIDS, is being designed to
counter both enemy aircraft and missiles”, writes the paper.
12. Energy
Minister: General to play important role in achieving Turkey’s energy goals
Turkish daily Today’s Zaman newspaper (27.09.13)
reports that Turkish Energy Minister Taner Yildiz said that General Electric
(GE) will play an important role in Turkey achieving its energy-related goals
and the finalization of its energy projects.
During a press meeting with GE CEO Jeffrey Immelt, Yildiz
stated that GE was the biggest shareholder and contributor when Turkey's first
bulb factory was opened in 1948 and said that GE will continue to be part of
the sustainability of the change and development in the energy sector of
Turkey. “In accordance with the new conditions in Turkey, we are at a phase of
implementing energy-saving LED systems and other equipment and we have given GE
a pilot zone in regards to the issue. We have achieved a 45 percent energy
saving during the pilot program, which has strengthened the mutual trust
between both sides,” he added.
According to Yildiz, the main purpose of the meeting
was further cooperation in the field of energy. While underlining the
significance of wind energy within Turkey's renewable energy projects, Yildiz
explained that “wind energy is very important as we have formed a system where
5.7 billion kilowatts of electricity per hour is produced. But it is not enough
and we might develop a new system with GE.”
Responding to questions about whether GE will invest
in Turkey, Yildiz said: “We have TL 1.2 billion [$600 million] worth of
operational costs related to street lightening and we need to take steps to
increase energy savings. However, such investments require big companies to
take part and we will talk about it today.” He continued by saying that the
Turkish government has emphasized these investments should be towards local
production and international companies such as GE have agreed to that.
Meanwhile, Immelt commented that energy investments in
Turkey are of significant importance for the company and stated that he cannot
wait to discuss projects related to windmills, gas turbines and LED bulbs.
He stated that GE has a notable history regarding its
presence in Turkey and that energy investments in Turkey are one of the leading
focus areas for GE. Immelt also referred to GE's commitment to Turkey to make
$900 million worth of investments in the country, adding the company will stick
to its promises. “We expect to continue our investments in Turkey as planned.
We have some notices to be released but these will be announced later.”
GE, also known as General Elektrik A.Ş. in Turkey, is
expected to manufacture turbines and parts. In addition, Turkey's Locomotive
and Engine Industry Corporation (TULOMSAŞ) and GE currently jointly manufacture
high-tech locomotives in Eskisehir.
13. Turkish
Interior Minister confirms 17 of 18 fugitives captured in eastern Turkey
Ankara Anatolia news agency (26.09.13) reports that Turkish
Interior Minister Muammer Guler on Thursday said that 17 of the 18 terrorists
who had tunneled out of a prison in the eastern province of Bingol were
arrested.Guler released a message via his Twitter account stating that the
terrorists were arrested during an operation held in the rural area of Bingol.
Search operations continue to arrest the terrorist on
the run, said the minister.
TURKISH
AFFAIRS SECTION
